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Parents Labeling a Kid’s Friend a Bad Influence Can Backfire
Parents have always blamed their teens’ misbehavior on their kids’ friends: they may say their kids “fell into bad company” or “got in with the wrong crowd.” To combat what they see as pernicious influences, parents have responded with strategies that range from criticizing the wayward companions to forbidding any contact altogether. This type of response by parents has been documented from the Netherlands to China. In fact, the question remains as to whether placing these supposed bad influences off-limits actually helpS children. “Not a bit” is the answer, according to child psychology researchers. In fact, this type of response actually backfires.
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Authenticity Can Protect Mental Health
Authenticity isn’t just a buzzword. Researchers have found that authentic people enjoy better psychological health and a greater sense of meaning in their lives. “There’s a really strong link between feeling authentic and life feeling meaningful,” said Rebecca Schlegel, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Texas A&M University. “You have essentially a good story about why you do the things that you do.” Authenticity is a popular subject to study, Schlegel said, but psychologists, philosophers and other scholars are still working to define this elusive concept. Many people think that authenticity means being yourself.
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Misinformation Really Does Spread like a Virus, Epidemiology Shows
We’re increasingly aware of how misinformation can influence elections. About 73% of Americans report seeing misleading election news, and about half struggle to discern what is true or false. When it comes to misinformation, “going viral” appears to be more than a simple catchphrase. Scientists have found a close analogy between the spread of misinformation and the spread of viruses. In fact, how misinformation gets around can be effectively described using mathematical models designed to simulate the spread of pathogens. Concerns about misinformation are widely held, with a recent UN survey suggesting that 85% of people worldwide are worried about it.
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A Guide to Being Brave In Relationships
From sustaining a marriage to making new friends, forming connections requires courage. This hour, TED speakers guide us through being brave during the most difficult moments in relationships. Guests include writer and podcaster Kelly Corrigan, journalist Allison Gilbert and clinical psychologists Julie and John Gottman.
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30 Essential Tips For Living a Longer, Happier, More Successful Life With No Regrets
The anti-aging market is littered with innovative products and procedures that promise consumers a healthier, happier, longer life. Some pursuits, like cryotherapy or what the industry refers to as photorejuvenation, are more experimental. Others, like New York City-based longevity clinic Fountain Life, claim to be more practical, using biomarkers to predict health outcomes and offering patients access to therapeutics. ... Having a conscientious personality is closely related to living longer, says David Watson, a former professor of personality psychology at the University of Notre Dame.
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People Overestimate Political Opponents’ Immorality
How would you describe a member of the opposite political party? Maybe you find them “annoying” or even “stupid.” Or you might even call them “bigoted” or “immoral.” Americans are deeply politically divided, and harsh language is not uncommon. Large majorities of Republicans and Democrats say they can’t agree on basic facts, and both parties report hating political opponents more than they love political allies. Although we lack reliable polling data from the 1800s, some scholars suggest we haven’t been this polarized since the Civil War.
